UPCEA Updates

In partnership with the HELIX Summit on Continuing Medical Education 

How are institutions navigating the dynamic intersection of workforce demands, digital learning, and credentialing innovation—especially in healthcare? That’s exactly what we explored in a recent Coffee Chat, where UPCEA leaders from across the higher education landscape gathered for an unrecorded but powerfully candid conversation on the trends shaping professional and continuing education.

This lively discussion surfaced practical strategies, inspiring innovations, and shared challenges. Here are the highlights, organized around the key themes that framed our conversation, moderated by UPCEA’s Deputy CEO and Chief Learning Officer, Amy Heitzman. 

Institutional Mission Meets Market Needs

We kicked off by exploring how each panelist’s work fits into the larger mission of their institutions—and who’s at the table when these strategies are developed.

• Robert Kearns of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine emphasized the importance of designing modular content that serves both students and professionals. Collaborations with frontline clinicians and junior faculty ensure that programs stay relevant to shifting care models and emerging technologies.
• Mike Macklin, representing the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), discussed the power of collaboration across their 13 colleges. Their “Power of 13” strategy aligns with state-wide partners—from governments to businesses—to ensure career pathways are accessible and aligned with workforce demand.
• John McKenzie of the University of North Texas Health Science Center described a whole-of-institution approach: working across academic programs and building scalable, accessible continuing education programs that reached learners in 47 states last year—all in service of a mission to build healthier communities.
• Elizabeth Valencia-Borgert from St. Cloud State University echoed the value of employer-aligned programming. At SCSU, close industry partnerships help shape training in real time, ensuring credentials reflect emerging needs in sectors like healthcare, equity, and AI. 

Stacking Toward the Future: Microcredentials in Motion

We then turned to microcredentials—small, stackable credentials that can stand alone or ladder into larger academic programs. What are panelists learning as they experiment and scale?

• At CCCS, Mike Macklin spotlighted their partnership with Education Design Lab on Behavioral Health Micropathways. These industry-informed credentials lead directly to jobs, stack into associate degrees, and keep students “earning while learning.”
• John McKenzie shared examples of aligning non-credit courses with licensure and certification opportunities: from pharmacy tech to community health worker programs. He noted a new initiative in forensic nursing that bridges non-credit and degree-seeking pathways.
• Elizabeth Valencia-Borgert noted that SCSU is in active conversations with system leadership about expanding through Professional and Continuing Education Division (PACE) their highly successful digital badges to gain broader industry recognition.
• Robert Kearns described how Johns Hopkins is working to create institution-wide clarity and consistency around microcredentials; ensuring shared language, standardized end products (like badges or certificates), and clear distinctions between non-credit offerings and academic degrees. 

Scaling Without Sacrificing Quality

Innovation means nothing without quality. So how do institutions scale to meet learner demand while preserving high standards?

• At UNTHSC, John McKenzie outlined a robust quality assurance framework: faculty-instructional designer partnerships, third-party course reviews using Quality Matters, and mandatory accessibility certifications for course developers. They’re even exploring holographic, AI-powered standardized patients for future training.
• He also offered a compelling roadmap to financial sustainability: blending tuition with grant-funded course development, aligning with military and workforce benefits, and embedding education into faculty research dissemination plans.
• At CCCS, Mike Macklin described several system-wide consortia that are helping to deliver education equitably across rural and urban regions, using shared curriculum and multi-modal delivery. Their healthcare apprenticeships are a powerful example of this approach in action.
• Elizabeth pointed to an inspiring international model from Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, which integrates company partnerships directly into program design and delivery.
• Robert Kearns emphasized that at Johns Hopkins, scaling goes hand-in-hand with instructional design. Their team-driven model pairs faculty with instructional designers who handle early drafts, format content, and optimize for accessibility and branding which ensures faculty time is used strategically while maintaining a consistent, high-quality learner experience across all offerings.

Final Thoughts

What emerged from this UPCEA Coffee Chat was a shared sense of urgency—and opportunity. Across the board, institutions are rising to meet the changing needs of learners, communities, and industries. From stackable credentials to system-wide partnerships, healthcare education is being reimagined for access, agility, and impact.

Missed the conversation? Stay tuned for future HELIX events, and follow our blog for more thought leadership at the intersection of education, innovation, and workforce development.